HEAVY security presence on Thursday, November 18, encircled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national headquarters in Wuse Zone 5 and the nearby Sky Memorial area as Wike-Anyanwu faction mobilised around the secretariat ahead of the party’s 103rd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
A small group of supporters, fewer than 50, marched opposite the Wadata Plaza with placards reading “Turaki Must Go.”
They accused newly elected factional national chairman Kabiru Turaki of emerging through a process they insist lacked fairness.
Police officers stationed in front of PDP National Headquarters
However, security operatives, particularly the police, swiftly stopped them from marching towards the front gate of the secretariat and dispersed them to the opposite lane.
In several corners around Wuse Zone 5, The ICIR observed tattered-looking individuals suspected to be hired thugs lurking, which has heightened concerns of possible clash as tensions around the PDP’s internal crisis continued to escalate.
Meanwhile, journalists, party members and security officials converged at the secretariat in anticipation of the NEC meeting.
This development came days after Turaki was elected chairman by some members at the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15, 2025.
In his acceptance speech, he promised to overhaul the party’s internal processes, restore internal democracy and eliminate impunity.
Turaki acknowledged that the PDP was at a ‘crossroads’ but assured members that the new leadership was prepared to confront the party’s challenges.
He also disclosed that the new National Working Committee would soon unveil its operational blueprint.
In the same development, the party also expelled several prominent figures, including Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, and former National Secretary Anyanwu, among others, over alleged gross anti-party activities.
DIFFERENT groups with ties to the Biafra separatist movement have actively lobbied the United States to recognise and support its bid for secession from Nigeria over the years, The ICIR findings reveal.
Several agreements were signed between the groups and US based firms, to carry out lobby campaigns, filings with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) have shown.
This is coming amid President Donald Trump’s recent designation of Nigeria as “a country of particular concern” with a threat to strike over genocide claims against Christians in the country.
The ICIR reports that during Trump’s first term in office the US State Department designated Nigeria as a CPC in December 2020. This was, however, reversed in November 2021 during the Biden administration.
Inside the lobby contracts
Investigation by The ICIR reveal that the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and other pro-Biafra separatist groups have entered into several contracts with US based firms to carry out different campaigns for self-determination agenda.
One of the filings indicate that in June 2024, the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) engaged Moran Global Strategies (MGS), a US based lobbying and strategic advisory firm, to “lobby to gain support for Biafra’s independence.”
The document confirms that the company had been acting as its foreign agent to lobby and advocate on their behalf in the US.
As part of the deal, a “letter of agreement” was signed on June 10-12, 2024, between MGS and the BRGIE, represented by its self-styled prime minister, Simon Ekpa.
Moran Global Strategies (MGS) is a US-based government-relations firm registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). It is owned by former U.S. Representative Jim Moran, who served the Northern Virginia communities of Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax County for 24 years.
Under the deal, MGS is to gain US support for Biafra independence, promote the narrative that Biafra would be a staunch ally of the US and a bulwark against Islamic terrorism in the region.
The deal provides that the lobby firm would be paid a monthly fee of $10,000 to render lobbying, promotion, perception management, and PR services on behalf of its client, according to the deal.
The document further showed that the contract commenced on June 15, 2024, while the fees would be billed in advance on the first day of each month and due on or before the 15th day.
Some of the documents for the contract with MGS
The contract, renewable on an annual basis, according to the terms, would help the separatist leader to convince the US government and private sectors to support the secession of Biafra from Nigeria.
“Under terms of this agreement, MGS agrees to provide Biafra with strategic advice and facilitate interaction with appropriate members of the Executive and Legislative Branches of the US government, as well as third-party interests.
“MGS will support Biafra’s fundamental goal to encourage the United States government to support Biafran independence and to recognise Biafra as the only entity which represents Biafra,” part of the agreement reads.
It said the US government would be encouraged to engage BRGIE directly and through advocacy by the US Congress and others, including faith-based and human rights organisations and think tanks.
The Jewish sentiment agreement
Findings by The ICIR also revealed that another lobby contract was signed between the Biafra Jewish Autonomous Region Governing Council and a Las Vegas based lobby firm, Daniel Golden on January 1, 2024. The agreement, according to documents obtained by The ICIR “is to create support for the establishment of a Jewish Autonomous Region in Biafra.”
This, according to the agreement, is to be achieved through reaching out to politicians to encourage support for the autonomous region, marketing awareness through social media and email.
“We plan to disseminate our vision and goals for the region to politicians, create dialogue between the region, the US, and its allies, lobby governments for support,” the pro-Biafra group stated, stressing that the plans would include governance and economic details.
Similarly, the United States of Biafra, entered into another agreement with a US registered lobby firm known as the United States of Biafra-Biafra Republic Government in Exile-Defacto.
In this instance the address of the registrant and the address of the foreign principal are the same.
The agreement was aimed at “leading the United States of Biafra citizens in the 40 states of Biafra, humanitarian assistance, fundraising activities, appointments, control and making pronouncements and rules.”
The filing shows that one, Christian Edeozor, represented the United States of Biafra, while Ngozi Orabueze signed the agreement on behalf of the registrant.
The United States of Biafra, entered into another agreement with a US registered lobby firm known as the United States of Biafra-Biafra Republic Government in Exile-Defacto.
Findings by The ICIR shows that the representative of the registrant, Orabueze, is a qualified APRN FNP (Advanced Practice Registered Family Nurse Practitioner) practicing in Atlanta, where she works at Georgia Act and Healthcare Services.
Orabueze is one of the prominent figures in the Biafra movement scene also known as the Chief of Staff for the Biafra Republic Government in Exile. She was even been appointed as a “Minister of Oil and Gas” for Biafra by Simon Ekpa. She made headlines for unveiling the Biafra flag in Finland and announcing arecruitment drive for a “Biafran Airforce.”
What BRGIE stands for
BRGIE is a self-proclaimed government set up by some Biafran separatist leaders and activists seeking for an independent state separate from Nigeria.
It is a “government in exile” that focuses on diplomatic and foreign relations activities, like building alliances, sharing the Biafran story worldwide, and negotiating with other nations and international organisations for actions against Nigeria.
BRGIE has had the first ever U.S. congressional briefing on September 18, 2025, indicating some level of lobby engagement with the U.S. legislative branch.
The organisation claims to provide services such as asylum assistance for Biafrans seeking refugee protection and is involved in various projects, including a self-referendum push and humanitarian type initiatives.
Part of the agreemnet between Biafra Jewish Autonomous Region & Daniel Golden.
More lobby deals uncovered
Findings by The ICIR indicate that prior to the 2024 agreement, two others had been entered into between IPOB and other US-based lobby firms.
For instance, in February 2021, the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, engaged BW Global Group (BWGG) another American lobbying firm to help the group win the support of the U.S. government.
The firm, co-owned by Jeffrey Birrel and Alan White, is registered in Washington D.C, with a high concentration of top government officials, lawmakers, policymakers, and opinion leaders. It is believed that IPOB engaged them to push its cause.
The one-year deal which was slated to run for 12 months, was signed at the cost of $750,000, according to the contract papers. Filings by BWGG after negotiations which were concluded in February 2021 show that the firm was engaged by Kanu to undertake “political activities” in the U.S. on behalf of IPOB.
The activities include engaging the U.S. government, Congress and the Department of State, (the equivalent of Foreign Affairs Ministries in Nigeria and other countries) and engaging policymakers on behalf of IPOB.
“The registrant expects to advocate on behalf of IPOB within the US Government (including the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of State) and otherwise engage policymakers and opinion leaders.
“BWGG shall provide the IPOB with services relating to the promotion of human rights and democracy and shall otherwise act as an advocate for the indigenous people of Biafra,” the document reads in part.
It added that BWGG “may also undertake other similar services that might be referred to BWGG by IPOB from time to time by mutual agreement.”
IPOB confirmed that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu had, indeed, engaged a new lobbying firm in the United States.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, in a statement disclosed that Kanu hired the US lobbyist with over N300m.
“Yes, it’s true we hired another lobbying group in USA to facilitate the coming and recognition of Biafra independence, we engaged them with the wholesome amount of 300m naira about $750 to lobby for Biafra freedom in America and the whole world,” Powerful reportedly said.
The ICIR also found that aside the BWGG agreement, a similar one was earlier struck by Kanu with another U.S.-based lobbying entity, Mercury Public Affairs LLC, in 2019.
According to the agreement paper submitted to the US Department of Justice, the lobbyists were engaged to provide strategic consulting services, government relations, and public affairs, including outreach to and engagement with relevant third-party organisations on issues of importance to Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB.
Under the contract, which kicked off in October, 2019, IPOB, through Kanu, paid Mercury Public Affairs $85,000 per month to help IPOB seek global endorsement, sympathy as well as carry out anti-Nigerian campaigns across the world.
Among other things, Mercury Public Affairs was to lobby the US Congress and State Department, promote human rights and democracy in Nigeria while advocating for the Biafran cause of self determination.
The firm is said to have succeeded in providing strategic consulting to IPOB which enabled IPOB engage international human-right organisations.
For instance, in a report promoted by Mercury Public Affairs LLC in PRNewswire – the global press-release distribution service-on March 25, 2020, the foreign agent had guided IPOB and Kanu to petition the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions on human rights abuses in its official report on Nigeria.
According to the report, the petition chronicled human rights abuses perpetrated against Biafrans in Nigeria to Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions at the United Nations.
Callamard had visited Nigeria in 2019 to investigate reports of violence and injustice against innocent Nigerians and the petition was part of a broader effort to secure a review of the materials for possible inclusion in a UN report on Nigeria.
File photo of Senator Ted Cruz with IPOB’s Okechukwu Nkere. Source: TheCable
Last year, BRGIE claim it’s acting prime minister, Nkere, met with US senator Ted Cruz, this said meeting was later highlighted by Ekpa, who amplified it on his X post.
Cruz, a US Republican Senator from Texas is known for his conservative stance on issues like gun rights, limited government, and religious freedom, Cruz has been lobbying for sanctions and military action in Nigeria over claims of persecution of Christians in the country.
Recently, Cruz proposed a bill that seeks to protect “persecuted” Christians in Nigeria and hold Nigerian government officials accountable for “facilitating the mass murder”.
Known as “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025”, the legislation seeks to hold Nigerian government officials accountable for allegedly “facilitating the mass murder of Christians”.
IPOB protest in US
Also, in the wake of the current genocide allegations, there was protest organised by IPOB in Washington to oppose a proposed Nigerian government delegation’s visit to “polish Nigeria’s image.”
The protest, announced by IPOB’s media secretary, Emma Powerful, sought to “raise our voices with thunder in the capital of the free world” and show solidarity with President Trump’s stance against “ethno-religious genocide in Nigeria.”
This, according to Iliyasu Gadu, an Abuja based diplomat and public affairs commentator who spoke with The ICIR, was a clear demonstration of the re-enactment of the Biafra lobby campaign activity by Biafra related groups in the US capital.
Similarly, the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), a US-based veterans’ organisation, wrote to the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, calling for the establishment of a United States military base in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
AVID is made up of American citizens of Igbo descent who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
In the letter dated November 6, and signed by its president, Sylvester Unyia and Secretary, Godson Obiagwu, the group thanked Secretary Hegseth for his “unwavering support in tackling the Christian genocide in Nigeria” and urged concrete action to deter further violence.
AVID said its members have deep cultural and geographical knowledge of the affected areas in southeastern Nigeria, which they believe uniquely positions them to support US engagement in the region.
“We know the topography of the areas affected, their mindset, culture, and comprehend fully the magnitude of this problem.
“A permanent solution is the only way to resolve this genocide. Establishing a U.S. military base (in Nigeria) will be the genesis of resolving this issue, as it will serve as a deterrent to these perpetrators,” the letter stated.
Congressional briefing claims
BRGIE claims it attended a U.S. congressional briefing on September 18, 2025. According to BRGIE, during the meeting, they presented what they called “verifiable evidence” of religious and ethnic persecution in Nigeria directly to U.S. lawmakers, highlighting mass killings, Christian persecution, and alleged genocidal acts against Biafrans and Christians.
BRGIE’s leadership claims that it lobbied US lawmakers, including Cruz. According to BRGIE’s Nkere this advocacy contributed to the Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025. However, publicly available congressional documents do not explicitly reference BRGIE as the source of the bill.
Describing the briefing as an “open door to international recognition” for Biafra, BRGIE’s Nkere, said it marked a paradigm shift from a local Nigerian issue to a global religious freedom emergency, encouraging other countries and international bodies to get involved.
In a video released on X, Nkere expressed the desire of BRGIE to enter into economic, defence, and military deals with the United States and called on the US government to sanction Nigeria for alleged human rights abuses against Biafrans.
He also demanded the release of Indigenous People of Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu by Nigeria and Simon Ekpa by Finland.
US Senators misled by IPOB – Presidency
The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being behind reports that allegedly influenced former U.S. President Trump’s threat of possible military action against Nigeria.
During an interview on Russia National TV, Daniel Bwala, an aide to President Bola Tinubu, urged Trump to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and desist from any plans to deploy American troops to the country.
Bwala described the allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria as a “false narrative” pushed by separatist groups and their international sympathisers to discredit the Tinubu administration.
“We try our best to downplay the rhetoric because we know for sure that that can be the reflection of the realities on ground,” he said.
According to Bwala, U.S. senators such as Ted Cruz had been “misled by IPOB sympathisers” who deliberately manipulated data and reports to influence Washington’s foreign policy.
IPOB reviving their civil war propaganda – Diplomat
Gadu, the diplomat and public affairs commentator earlier mentioned said the IPOB and, indeed the Igbo’s generally have been ‘forceful’ in terms of lobbying and advocacy.
“When you go to the internet you see their commentators and bloggers very forceful in their lobby campaigns. They have carried out these campaigns to wherever their kit and kins are; whether in America, Germany or elsewhere.
“The agenda is to create an impression that the Igbo’s are being persecuted, marginalised and subjected to all kinds of inhuman treatment in Nigeria. To the uncritical mind, this resonates, creating the impression that they may have a case. We all know that during the civil war the Igbo propaganda machine was very effective-more than even that of the federal government.
“So, they are building on that with their lobby and advocacy campaigns in the US and elsewhere to present themselves as victims of the Nigerian State. They are leveraging on the fact that America is a country of lobbyists with so many lobby groups in the Congress on many courses,” Gadu said.
Claims of marginalisation, particularly in the post–civil war era, remain one of the key drivers of the contemporary separatist movement in the South-East.
THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday handed the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Cyril Ndifon, a five-year prison sentence with no option of a fine.
The judge, James Omotosho, ruled that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) successfully proved counts one and two against the UNICAL professor beyond reasonable doubt.
“The instances of undue advantage are so much. The 1st defendant abused his office. Consequently, the 1st defendant is hereby convicted of count one and count two,” the judge ruled, adding that the court found Ndifon not to be a witness of truth.
The judge noted that he considered Ndifon’s status as a first-time offender when tempering justice with mercy.
He, therefore, sentenced Ndifon to two years’ imprisonment on count one and five years on count two, noting that the sentences were to run concurrently.
The ICIR reported in August 2023 that demale students of UNICAL’s Faculty of Law staged a protest within the school premises carrying placards that read, “Law students are not Bonanza, Prof. Ndifon should stop grabbing us. The Faculty of Law is not a brothel,” “Ndifon must go for our sanity,” among others.
Videos of the protest went viral on social media, generating several reactions, including those from many former students sharing similar experiences.
Ndifon reacted to the allegations, describing them as lies and the handiwork of his enemies following his emergence as the dean of faculty.
However, the convict had been suspended for similar reasons in 2015 after a final-year student accused him of raping her in his office.
The institution suspended Ndifon some days later, over allegations of sexual assault against him by some female students, and set up a seven-member panel to investigate allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him.
The panel, headed by a professor of philosophy, Dorothy Oluwagbemi-Jacob, was expected to carry out thorough investigations into at least six issues ranging from sexual harassment to results manipulation by Ndifon and make appropriate recommendations to the management.
In October 2023, Ndifon was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) at the request of the ICPC after he failed to honour invitations following allegations of sexual assault levelled against him. Since then, the commission has been on the case.
The High Court judge, in his ruling, discharged and acquitted Sunny Anyanwu, initially a member of Ndifon’s legal team, of all charges against him, noting that the anti-corruption agency failed to establish any link between Anyanwu and the offences in counts three and four.
In an amended charge dated January 19, 2024, the ICPC filed a four-count charge against Ndifon, the first defendant and his lawyer, Anyanwu, the second defendant.
Ndifon was initially the sole defendant, but Anyanwu was later added after allegations surfaced that he attempted to interfere with the case by calling the star witness during the proceedings to intimidate her.
Anyanwu allegedly phoned the witness, identified as TKJ, urging her not to respond to ICPC invitations or make any statement regarding the sexual harassment allegations against his client.
In the amended charge, counts one and two alleged that Ndifon sexually harassed female students of the institution. The ICPC claimed that while he was Dean of the Faculty of Law, Ndifon asked a female Diploma student and star witness, identified as TKJ, to send him “pornographic, indecent, and obscene photographs of herself” via WhatsApp.
He was further accused of repeatedly asking her to perform a “blow job” for him in exchange for securing admission to study Law.
Ndifon was alleged to have used his position as a public officer to sexually harass multiple female students and to secure undue advantage over them.
While count three was brought exclusively against Anyanwu, both he and Ndifon were jointly charged in count four for attempting to interfere with the course of justice.
On February 14, 2024, the ICPC closed its case against the two defendants after its fourth witness, forensic analyst Bwaigu Fungo, concluded his cross-examination.
The defendants then filed a no-case submission, contending that the prosecution had not established its allegations.
However, on March 6, 2024, Omotosho dismissed their application and directed them to open their defence.
Ndifon took the stand as the first defence witness (DW1), while Babagana Mingali, a chief superintendent of police and forensic analyst with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), appeared as the second defence witness (DW2).
In his judgment, Omotosho ruled that the ICPC had successfully proven the key elements of the offences outlined in counts one and two, and observed that Ndifon had not refuted evidence indicating that he had exerted undue pressure on TKJ to engage in immoral acts.
“The victim was desirous of being admitted into the university, and the 1st defendant was in a position of advantage to help her, being the dean, and the diploma course is under his supervision.
“The instances of undue advantage are so much. The 1st defendant abused his office,” the judge said, adding that the court found Ndifon not to be a witness of truth.
“Consequently, the 1st defendant is hereby convicted of count one and count two,” the judge ruled.
Regarding count three, the judge noted that while Anyanwu did call TKJ, the call occurred roughly four months before the investigation began. He stated that the court could not speculate on Anyanwu’s intentions at that time, and consequently discharged and acquitted him of both counts three and four.
“It was with dismay that I read through this case that a Dean of Law can turn himself into a sexual predator,” he said, describing Ndifon as “a disgrace to the community of learned persons” who must face the consequences of his actions.”
He further stated that the sentence is intended to serve as a warning to other public officers who abuse their positions to exploit women.
Veteran Nigerian journalist and Newswatch magazine co-founder, Dan Agbese, has passed on.
He was 81.
His family confirmed in a statement that the celebrated columnist and editor passed away on Monday morning, November 17, in Lagos.
“We hereby announce the passing away of our husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and mentor: Chief Dan Agbese, the Awan’Otun of Agila. Chief Agbese transited to eternal glory this morning, Monday, November 17, 2025. He was aged 81,” the statement read.
The family explained that it would announce burial arrangements in due course.
“Born May 12, 1944, in Agila, Chief Agbese was a renowned journalist and author, famous for his seminal contributions to journalism practice in Nigeria and renowned for his satirical columns,” it added.
Agbese, renowned for his incisive writing and decades of service in journalism, played a pivotal role in shaping modern investigative reporting and commentary in Nigeria.
“Chief Agbese was one of the founders of the trail-blazing Newswatch magazine and was, until April 2010, its Editor-in-Chief,” his family stated.
He served as editor of The Nigeria Standard and New Nigerian newspapers and was the General Manager of Radio Benue in Makurdi.
Before his passing, he wrote several books and maintained weekly columns in notable newspapers, including the Daily Trust and The Guardian, while running a media consultancy with his friends and colleagues, Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Muhammed and Soji Akinrinade.
He is survived by his wife, Chief Rose Agbese, their six children, and seven grandchildren.
Agbese earned degrees in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Lagos and Columbia University, New York, respectively.
He began his career at New Nigerian and The Nigeria Standard newspapers, but his most defining professional achievement came in 1984, when he joined Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, and Yakubu Mohammed to launch Newswatch, the pioneering weekly newsmagazine that set the standard for investigative journalism in Nigeria.
Over the years, he held multiple key roles at the magazine, including Managing Editor, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, and Editor-in-Chief.
He was also the author of several acclaimed books, including Nigeria, Their Nigeria, Fellow Nigerians, The Reporter’s Companion, Style: A Guide to Good Writing, and The Columnist’s Companion: The Art and Craft of Column Writing.
NIGERIA’s inflation rate has eased to 16.05 per cent relative to the September 2025 inflation rate of 18.02 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said.
The drop was hugely impacted by the drop in food inflation in October 2025 to 13.12 per cent, down from 16.87 per cent in September, following the easing of prices for maize, garri and beans.
In its October 2025 inflation report, the NBS said the inflation rate showed a decrease of 1.96 per cent compared to the September 2025 headline inflation rate, and on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 17.82 per cent lower than the rate recorded in October 2024 (33.88%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) decreased in October 2025 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., October 2024), though with a different base year, November 2009 = 100,” the statistics office said.
It added that on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in October 2025 was 0.93 per cent, which was 0.21 per cent higher than the rate recorded in September 2025 (0.72 per cent).
“This means that in October 2025, the rate of increase in the average price level was higher than the rate of increase in the average price level in September 2025. For food inflation, the rate was 13.12 per cent on a year-on-year basis.
“This was 26.04 per cent points lower compared to the rate recorded in October 2024 (39.16%),” the NBS stated further.
The ICIR reports that a significant decline in the annual food inflation figure is technically due to the change in the base year methodology. Accordingly, on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in October 2025 was -0.37 per cent, up by 1.21 per cent compared to September 2025 (-1.57 per cent).
It added that the average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve months ending October 2025 over the previous Twelve-month average was 21.96 per cent, which was 16.16 per cent points lower compared with the average annual rate of change recorded in October 2024 (38.12 per cent).
Analysts at Meristem and several investment firms projected food inflation to ease further in the near term, supported by the ongoing harvest season and government food security interventions, The ICIR reports.
On a state level, food inflation was highest in Ogun State at 20.58 per cent, Nasarawa at 19.96 per cent, and Ekiti at 19.70 per cent. Akwa Ibom, Katsina and Yobe recorded the lowest food inflation in the period with 3.98 per cent, 4.15 per cent and 4.29 per cent, respectively.
THE United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa has scheduled Thursday, November 20, 2025, to open its inquiry into President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged surge in Christian killings.
According to Channels Television, the invitation sent to members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs shows that the hearing will be chaired by Representative Chris Smith at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building, with a live webcast available.
The hearing will include two panels of witnesses, featuring senior US State Department officials as well as Nigerian religious leaders.
“You are respectfully requested to attend an open hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs to be held by the Subcommittee on Africa at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building,” the invite read.
The ICIRreported that Trump added Nigeria to countries on watchlist for Christian genocide on October 31.
He referenced alleged grave violations of religious freedom, including the persecution of Christians.
He alleged that Christianity faced an existential threat in Nigeria, with thousands of Christians reportedly killed by radical Islamist groups.
Trump warned that the United States could take action including the possibility of military intervention if Nigeria failed to address the issue.
Nigeria was first designated a CPC by President Donald Trump in 2020, but his successor, President Joe Biden, removed the country from the list after taking office.
The US President also threatened to halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria should President Bola Tinubu’s administration fail to end the alleged persecution and killing of Christians.
Thursday’s hearing will feature two panels. The first includes Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official of the Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
The second panel will comprise Nina Shea, Director of the Centre for Religious Freedom; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Nigeria’s Makurdi Catholic Diocese; and Oge Onubogu from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
According to the report, the congressional hearing is set to examine the extent of religious persecution in Nigeria, and to weigh potential policy responses, including targeted sanctions, humanitarian assistance, and collaboration with Nigerian authorities to prevent further violence.
The bill is also under consideration on in the United States Senate, where it is sponsored by one of the senators, Ted Cruz.
However, Tinubu said Nigeria stood firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty and continued to maintain open engagement with both Christian and Muslim leaders across the country.
He argued that the portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant did not reflect the reality in the country, adding that the government’s efforts to safeguard freedom of belief for all Nigerians remained consistent and sincere.
THE United Nigeria Airline has revealed that it deboarded famous social media personalities, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, and Freedom Okpetoritse Atsepoyi, widely called Mr. Jollof, from its scheduled flight on Monday, November 17, after they exchanged punches at the Asaba International Airport.
The airline said in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Chibuike Uloka, shortly after the altercation that the incident occurred aboard its Flight UN0523, noting that crew members immediately intervened to de-escalate the confrontation in line with global aviation safety standards.
“United Nigeria Airlines confirms that an altercation occurred between two passengers, identified as Martins Vincent Otse “VeryDarkman” and Freedom Okpetoritse Atsepoyi “Mr. Jollof, ” during the boarding of Flight UN0523 at Asaba International Airport on the morning of 17 November 2025,” part of the statement read.
Uloka added that the flight proceeded safely to its destination after standard safety procedures were completed, with the two passengers remaining in the custody of airport authorities.
“In full compliance with global aviation safety protocols, our crew responded immediately and professionally to de-escalate the situation. Both passengers were deboarded without delay to ensure the safety, comfort, and security of all other passengers and crew members. They were subsequently handed over to airport security for further investigation.
“United Nigeria Airlines places the highest priority on safety and maintains a zero-tolerance policy for any conduct that threatens the security or well-being of passengers or crew. After all standard procedures were completed, the flight departed safely while the passengers involved in the altercation were still with the authorities,” Uloka added.
The ICIR reports that the cause of the altercation remains unclear, but the statement noted that airport security officials were expected to release findings after their investigation.
“We remain firmly committed to providing a safe, respectful, and secure travel experience across our network,” he added.
The ICIR reports that this development adds to the list of the recent airport altercations in Nigeria.
In August, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) blacklisted popular Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, widely known as K1 De Ultimate, from flying within Nigeria for six months after breaching security protocols at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The musician reportedly tried to board a ValueJet flight to Lagos, allegedly with a flask of alcohol, violating aviation security regulations that prohibit liquids over 100 ml in hand luggage.
The ICIR also reported an altercation involving an Ibom Air passenger, Comfort Emmanson, the airline’s crew member and security officials at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos State.
Emmanson was recorded attacking flight attendants and airport security officials at the airport.
Hours after videos of her attacking the crew members filtered into the public space and eventually went viral, another video emerged showing how a flight attendant blocked her from disembarking while other passengers had exited the aircraft.
THE Kebbi State Police Command has confirmed the early-morning attack on Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, where armed men abducted several students and reportedly killed the school vice principal.
Police spokesperson in the state, Nafi’u Abubakar, said the attackers scaled the school fence and opened fire before whisking away 25 students from their hostel, according to Daily Trust.
“The police tactical units deployed in the school engaged them into a gun duel but the suspected bandits had already abducted them in their hostel,” he said.
The development followed earlier confirmation by the Chairman of Danko Wasagu LGA, Hussaini Bena, who told The ICIR that the attack occurred around 4 a.m.
He said gunmen stormed the school while shooting sporadically and abducted an as-yet-unconfirmed number of students.
Bena noted that he was on his way to the school and could not immediately verify the casualties. The attack adds to Kebbi State’s troubling history of school abductions.
In June 2021, gunmen invaded the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, abducting dozens of students and teachers in one of the state’s high-profile school kidnappings. While some were released over time, others remained in captivity for years.
The persistent attacks across northern Nigeria have forced several states to shut down schools temporarily, with humanitarian organisations warning that the trend continues to threaten children’s access to safe learning environments.
THE Chairman of Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Hussaini Bena, has confirmed to The ICIR that armed men attacked the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in the early hours of Monday, abducting yet to be confirmed number of students.
Bena said the gunmen invaded the school at about 4 a.m., shooting repeatedly before escaping with a yet-to-be-confirmed number of students.
When asked if there were casualties from the attacks, he told The ICIR that he could not confirm the total casualties as he was on his way to the school.
Efforts to get comments from the Kebbi State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the police spokesperson in the state, Nafi’u Abubakar, did not pick the calls to his mobile line when filing this report.
Earlier reporting by HumAngle indicated that residents in Maga said the attackers struck shortly before dawn prayers and fled with several girls.
According to the report, the assailants had not gone far and that community members were calling for urgent government intervention to stop the abductors from escaping.
Kebbi State has witnessed repeated school abductions in recent years, including the June 2021 invasion of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, where many students and five teachers were taken after gunmen overran the school.
On June 17, 2021, terrorists attacked the FGC in Birnin Yauri and kidnapped about 80 students and teachers.
Some students were severely injured in the gun battle between the abductors and the police. A policeman was also killed in the incident.
A letter had been addressed to the school, presumably by the terrorists, warning of the attack, but the authorities dismissed it as a prank.
While some students were earlier released, 11 remained in captivity.
In April 2023, The ICIR reported that four of the kidnapped students regained freedom after two years in captivity.
The mass abduction of students had become more frequent in Nigeria since 2014, when at least 276 girls were kidnapped from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.
In 2021, following the mass abduction of students of the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna, the state government ordered the closure of schools in the state.
According to the state Ministry of Education’s Annual School Census Report 2018/2019/February 2020, the closure affected over 5,000 pre-primary to senior secondary schools, both private and public.
Also, a report by Save the Children, in 2023 a charity organisation, over 1,680 students and teachers have been kidnapped from schools majorly in the North since 2014.
In addition to Kaduna, there had been closure of schools in Zamfara, Niger and other states battling insecurity in Nigeria.
THE Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has criticised the newly proposed United States (U.S) House Resolution 860, accusing American lawmakers of misrepresenting pastoralists and ignoring their long history of suffering.
MACBAN President, Baba Ngelzarma, at a press briefing held on Sunday, 16 November, called on the U.S. government to amend the resolution, which proposes sanctions, including visa restrictions and asset freezes against individuals and groups allegedly involved in religious persecution.
The association argued that the measure fails to recognise that pastoralists are among the groups most affected by violent conflicts in Nigeria’s rural areas.
MACBAN’s statement was in response to the filing of H.Res. 860 in the 119th U.S. Congress by Representative Christopher Smith, with Bill Huizenga as co-sponsor.
The resolution proposes sanctions such as visa restrictions and asset freezes targeted at MACBAN and other Fulani-led groups, as stated on the US Congress website.
It also advises that Fulani-Ethnic Militias operating in states like Benue and Plateau be added to the Entities of Particular Concern list under the International Religious Freedom Act.
MACBAN, however, rejected any association with terrorist groups and reiterated its condemnation of all forms of terrorism in Nigeria.
“MACBAN respectfully calls for revising H.R. 860 to remove all mention of MACBAN. We wish to state clearly and without ambiguity: MACBAN does not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism, or violence.
MACBAN is not and has never been an armed group or violent organisation. We condemn in the strongest possible terms banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, terrorism, or any crime whatsoever,” MACBAN president said.
Ngelzarma maintained that rural insecurity in Nigeria had also taken a heavy toll on pastoralists, saying thousands were killed between 2015 and 2025 by cattle rustlers, bandits, armed vigilantes, militias and extremist groups.
He cited verified figures showing that more than 18,640 pastoralists were killed within the period, about 1,298,802 displaced, 87,543 houses destroyed, and over 1,114,519 cattle rustled or slaughtered, with an additional 656,555 small ruminants lost across 17 states.
MACBAN described these figures as both a profound human tragedy and a significant setback for Nigeria’s livestock sector and food systems. The association urged the U.S and other international actors to take these “human and economic losses” into account when evaluating the pastoralist community.
The group also drew attention to what it called targeted assassinations, noting that several of its officials who assisted security agencies in uncovering criminal networks had been killed, including its state chairmen in Nasarawa, Katsina, Kogi and Plateau, while others had been threatened for refusing to protect offenders.
While calling for caution on profiling the group, Ngelzema added that the National Vice President (I), Munnir Atiku Lamid, has been missing since June 2023 after disappearing while travelling from Katsina to Kaduna.
He stressed that portraying the entire pastoralist population as criminals reflects a misunderstanding that risks deepening their stigmatisation.
MACBAN appealed to the U.S. Congress to consult credible local actors, including pastoralists, farmers, civil society groups, and security agencies, when carrying out assessments.
The group also called for evidence-driven evaluations that factor in the humanitarian impact on pastoralists and advocated sustained investment in pastoralist infrastructure such as grazing reserves, veterinary care, water supply, healthcare, and education.
“We do not seek protection because we are violent; we ask for support because we are under threat,” MACBAN said.
The group further reiterated its dedication to peace-building and unity, and urged that the pastoral majority should not be profiled because of the actions of a few criminals.
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